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Last Thursdays with Maite Barrera, Founding Partner at BlueCap

A day of networking and a lecture was recently organised by the ESADE Entrepreneurship Institute and Alumni Entrepreneurship. The lecture was delivered by Maite Barrera (Lic&MBA 98), founding partner of BlueCap, who, over the course of an hour, spoke about her experience as an entrepreneur. Since one of the main reasons behind the event was to promote talks between entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, people involved in entrepreneurship, academics and student business plan tutors, the event turned out to be an ideal platform for exchanging views and experiences and encouraging new business opportunities.

After the initial networking session, Maite Barrera began her lecture, which, resulting from the relaxed atmosphere took on an air of a friendly conversation. To start off with, Barrera gave a brief overview of her career, mentioning her days as a student at ESADE and her passion for working in consultancy.

Next, she went on to talk about BlueCap, the company that she helped co-found. "BlueCap is a consulting firm dedicated to the financial sector and which advises the country’s top management", she said. She also added that the main secret of success for her company was that: "It’s got a strong team that’s very keen to get in there and get the job done".

Focusing more on her professional life, she explained that she has gone through several transitions that have involved sudden changes: "The first time was when I got into the catering industry and it was a total failure", Barrera acknowledged. And the second was when she turned down an offer to become a partner in a very important firm: "That decision was taken at a very bad time for me in my personal life: But it gave me the vision I needed to start out on a project of my own. Being faced with the worst odds always manages to bring out the best in me".

Later, she wanted to take up where she had left off at BlueCap and enhance her powers of persuasion to put the best team together; and keep it. Barrera acknowledged that she wants "good people, whatever the cost", and for this reason she has hired quite a lot of people on a freelance basis. But she added that not only did she want the best professionals in her sector, but that she also wanted good business people who had business in their blood, as well as lots of enthusiasm.

Finally, several of those attending the event put some questions to the lecturer, focusing especially on how a business should be structured and the keys to its success. After answering some of these questions, Ms Barrera left her spot at the lectern to mingle with the audience and take part - as if she herself were just another member of the audience - in the networking event after her talk.

Programme:

The ESADE Entrepreneurship Institute and the Alumni Entrepreneurship have launched a new series of meetings called, Last Thursdays. Their aim is to encourage networking opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, others involved in entrepreneurial efforts, faculty, business plan sponsors and students.

Last Thursdays will be the ideal platform in which to exchange ideas, share experiences and foment new business opportunities, all over an informal drink.

We look forward to seeing you on 26th April at 6.30 pm at the Hotel Madarín Oriental.

From 6.30pm to 8.00pm:
Networking at The Banker's Bar of Hotel Mandarín Oriental

From 8.00pm to 8.30pm: Maite Barrera (Lic&MBA 98), Founding Partner at BlueCap, will discuss her experiences as an entrepreneur at the helm of a strategic consulting firm that guides executives at financial institutions and has become a point of reference in the industry

From 8.30pm to 9.00pm:
Networking

Be sure to reserve the last Thursday of every month on your calendar*!*Next Last Thursdays: 31st May and 28th June.